Many Type 2 diabetics have sworn off Western medicine in favor of natural diabetes treatments that work better than most traditional prescription drugs. While this may be a bit extreme, it does speak to the fact that many Type 2 diabetics are largely frustrated with the "care" they receive from doctors. For the most part, diabetics just want to be healthy like everyone else. Unfortunately, most doctors aren't delivering their promise to provide the best care possible.
A new report out of Canada confirms that doctor's "best practice" is often what they feel like doing. In this report, new guidelines were given to Canadian doctors to explicitly tell them to look at abdominal fat and physical activity when treating their diabetic patients. These guidelines published in the April 2011 Canadian Journal of Cardiology, doesn't contain anything groundbreaking... which is why it should be alarming to all Type 2 diabetics.
Abdominal fat and exercise are two factors intimately linked with blood sugar level control. Yet researchers felt compelled to publish research that literally told doctors to rethink what they were doing. In fact, the study author, University of Toronto Physician Laurence Leiter, reports that these two simple things are more important than what most doctors pay attention to.
Is this reason to completely abandon your doctor's advice and set out alone? Of course not. Anti-glycemic medications and injectable insulin are important stepping stones to help diabetics get naturally healthy again. The problem with these approaches is that they create a culture of reliance where lifestyle is completely taken out of the picture. It takes a massive wake up call from reports like this to get doctors to understand that there's more to diabetes management than prescribing a pill.
Here's how you can become a more proactive patient and get better care at the doctor's office:
Speak Up: Many diabetics sheepishly accept everything their doctor tells them. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor to explain, or to politely turn their advice down.
Bring In Questions: Remember, you paid for your doctor's visit (and it probably wasn't cheap!). If you're wondering what that new study about the diabetes medication means to you, bring in the article to your doctor to get his or her feedback.
Get Complemented: Western and alternative medicine don't have to be mutually exclusive. You can still follow doctor's orders and try natural diabetes treatments, such as herbs, vitamins, acupuncture and several other forms of complementary medicine. There is no doubt that some of them may be able to lower your blood sugar levels.
A new report out of Canada confirms that doctor's "best practice" is often what they feel like doing. In this report, new guidelines were given to Canadian doctors to explicitly tell them to look at abdominal fat and physical activity when treating their diabetic patients. These guidelines published in the April 2011 Canadian Journal of Cardiology, doesn't contain anything groundbreaking... which is why it should be alarming to all Type 2 diabetics.
Abdominal fat and exercise are two factors intimately linked with blood sugar level control. Yet researchers felt compelled to publish research that literally told doctors to rethink what they were doing. In fact, the study author, University of Toronto Physician Laurence Leiter, reports that these two simple things are more important than what most doctors pay attention to.
Is this reason to completely abandon your doctor's advice and set out alone? Of course not. Anti-glycemic medications and injectable insulin are important stepping stones to help diabetics get naturally healthy again. The problem with these approaches is that they create a culture of reliance where lifestyle is completely taken out of the picture. It takes a massive wake up call from reports like this to get doctors to understand that there's more to diabetes management than prescribing a pill.
Here's how you can become a more proactive patient and get better care at the doctor's office:
Speak Up: Many diabetics sheepishly accept everything their doctor tells them. Don't be afraid to ask your doctor to explain, or to politely turn their advice down.
Bring In Questions: Remember, you paid for your doctor's visit (and it probably wasn't cheap!). If you're wondering what that new study about the diabetes medication means to you, bring in the article to your doctor to get his or her feedback.
Get Complemented: Western and alternative medicine don't have to be mutually exclusive. You can still follow doctor's orders and try natural diabetes treatments, such as herbs, vitamins, acupuncture and several other forms of complementary medicine. There is no doubt that some of them may be able to lower your blood sugar levels.
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